In a major development, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday decided to shift the ongoing money laundering case from Karachi to Islamabad.
The anti-graft watchdog filed an appeal before a banking court in Karachi to transfer the case pertaining to laundering of billions of rupees through fictitious bank accounts to Islamabad.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Zardari’s close aides Hussain Lawai and Anwar Majeed are among 32 people being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the case.
The move comes in the wake of a Supreme Court judgment in the case wherein the joint investigation team (JIT) report and evidence collected was transmitted to the bureau for further investigations.
The NAB team told the banking court that the apex court had directed shifting of the case to Islamabad. It added that the transfer matter was also being reviewed by NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal and prosecutor general.
Last month, an apex court bench had given NAB two months to conduct a fresh investigation and file references against the accused. Following the directives, NAB had constituted a combined investigation team to probe the case. Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur have already filed review petitions against the Supreme Court decision in the case.
Published in Daily Times, February 5th 2019.
